Do Not Call Register Swamped

Written by Adam Gosling

Thursday, 03 May 2007

The freshly launched national Do Not Call Register which launched today has attracted so much adoration from ordinary consumers tired of telemarketers stalking them that the website was unable to withstand the high load forcing ACMA to appologise for delays. The site is still operating, but groaning under the sheer volume of people eager to sign up, registering their home phones and mobiles on the database of numbers direct marketers are not allowed to call. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) which is responsible for establishing and overseeing the Do Not Call Register will charge telemarketers a fee to vet their phone lists to ensure the numbers of registered consumers are not included. ACMA has determined the subscription fees and excess usage charges that apply for accessing the register in the first year of operation. Under the Do Not Call Register (Access Fees) Determination 2007, the annual subscription fees range from $71 (to wash up to 20,000 numbers) to $80,000 (to wash up to 100 million numbers). There is a subscription type that allows telemarketers to check up to 500 numbers per year at no cost. Individuals were able to register private or domestic phone numbers for the first time today, using the www.donotcall.gov.au website. They can also register by post and after the 22nd of May will be able to phone in and register. Individuals will be able to register by telephone from 22 May 2007. Under the legislation it will be against the law to make telemarketing calls to numbers on the register after 31 May 2007. It may, however, take up to 30 days for a registration to become effective. Telemarketers will be able to submit their calling lists to the register operator for checking against the register. This process of ‘washing' calling lists will help telemarketers comply with the Act and will be available from 25 May 2007. Industry ‘washing' trials are to be begin shortly. Industry will contribute to the costs of operating and maintaining the Do Not Call Register through the payment of fees for accessing the register determined by ACMA. UPDATE: More than two hundred thousand Australians listed their phone numbers on the national Do Not Call Register in the first 24 hours. UPDATE2: BY the end of the first week the Do Not Call Register has reached 500,000 as the pace slows, but doesn't look like stopping as word spreads. Related news items Tiny Rugged UMPC WIth Vista -10/10/2007 Consumers Want FMC: Companies Don't See The Benefit -02/10/2007 Nokia Buys Map Company For US$8 Billion -02/10/2007 Seven In Unwired Takeover Bid -26/09/2007 Ultra-Mobile Sales Ready To Rocket -16/09/2007 Newer news items Feuding Mobile Email Players Settle Their Differences -10/07/2007 LG Goes After Quanta Again -05/07/2007 Judge Judges Optus Better Value Than Telstra -17/05/2007 More Work For Nokia Lawyers -04/05/2007 Kiwi Govt Accused Of Dodgy Termination Deal -03/05/2007 Older news items Kiwi Risks Huge Legal Bill To Recover Laptop -19/04/2007 Voda NZ In Trouble Over Number Portability -16/04/2007 Qualcomm Scoffs At Nokia's Millions -13/04/2007 Nokia Payment An Admission: Qualcomm -09/04/2007 Tasteless Posters Warned On Rape Video -05/04/2007 Tag This Now: